After the outcry over the prices of Nintendo's new Switch 2, Microsoft now seems to be following suit.
Microsoft has announced that it will increase Xbox prices worldwide. The price increase follows Nintendo's lead, which set a new standard with Mario Kart World.
Many had predicted that Nintendo's aggressive strategy would introduce new pricing standards for AAA games, and it looks like they were right.
Microsoft Is Also Tightening The Price Screw
A report from Windows Central has now claimed that Microsoft plans to raise the prices of some games, such as Forza and new Call Of Duty titles, to $80 in time for the 2025 holiday season. And that's not all: the price of the Xbox itself and accessories such as controllers are also set to rise. The Xbox Series X is now selling for an incredible $599. That's pretty crazy when you consider that it's a five-year-old console and the new PlayStation 5 Pro only costs $100 more!
The Game Pass Sounds More And More Tempting
When you look at it, the Xbox Game Pass cements itself as an unbeatable deal. And lately, we've been hearing almost daily about great new games that are immediately available in the Game Pass.
It's hard to list them all: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Blue Prince, Oblivion: Remastered and next week Doom: The Dark Ages. In addition, Dredge will be released tomorrow, May 6, and Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3/4 Remaster on July 11.
The Game Pass is especially worthwhile for trying out new games and rediscovering old classics.
Is It All Thanks To Nintendo?
While it's easy to point the finger and blame Nintendo for all of this, we need to look to the past. Because I also (unfortunately) spent 90€ on Diablo IV. And even back then, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain came as a download link on CD.
That doesn't mean that Nintendo is innocent.
Because Nintendo has been synonymous with family-oriented gaming in the past and in this day and age, when everything is getting more expensive, the price increase is already very noticeable.
Are you prepared to spend that much money on games in the future?